Motor vehicle



E. RfHoLMEs MOTOR VEHICLE ATTORNEY Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,292

' E.. R. HOLM ES MOTOR VEHICLE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 51, 1920 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

EDGAR R. HOLMES, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR TO HAMLIN-HOLMES MOTOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

Application led January 31, 1920. Serial No. 355,386.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR R. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne hicle, but this invention contemplates the including the vpower application of the -power to the front steering wheels only of a. four-wheeled motor vehicle,` and it is the object of the invention to provide a novel construction and arrangement of the mechanism for transmitting power from a motor on a vehicle at its'forward end, to the front traction wheels only of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary structure for the purpose plant, change speed power transmitting mechanism, and motion transmitting means extending forwardly therefrom to the front axle of the vehicle. It is also an object of the invention to provide suitable braking means for checking the forward movement of the vehicle, which means is so arranged as to app-ly its braking power through the power transmitting means, to the front driving wheels of the vehicle in a very simple and efcient manner.

A further object is to provide certain other new and useful features in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l Shows a portion of a motor vehicle chassis provided with a power plant and power transmitting mechanism, illustrative of the invention, in longitudinal vertical section and in operative relation to hel power plant and front axle of the ve- Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the front axle assembly partly in section, and

Fig; 3 is a diagrammatic View of a motor vehicle embodying the invention;

It is a well known -fact that much less power is required to pull a vehicle than to push it. rior constructions been such that the power of been applied to turn the rear traction wheels of the vehicle particularly pleasure vehicles, but it is known that when power is so applied and the road way is wet or slippery, the vehicle is very liable to side slip oi` have ordinarily the engine has lapplied to the rear wheels as it to apply the' braking power equal y to both wheels and it is very seldom that road conditions are the same beneath both wheels.

In the present invention it is proposed to apply driving Ipower to the front Wheels only of the vehicle, thus securing the advantages derived from pulling instead of pushing the vehicle and further avoiding the liability of brakes from the rear wheels and providing anv arrangement whereby the' braking'power is applied through the means for transmitting motion to the front wheels, said front wheels being provided with turning knuckles and means for transmitting motion to the wheels through said knuckles in any old and well known manner.

In the drawings, the reference numeral l denotes thev chassis'frame having its forward end articulated by springs 2 or other yieldable means to a front' axle 3 and its rear end to a dead axle 27 by springs 28 the ends of said front axle being provided with Steering knuckle housings 4, steering knuckles 5, and wheels 6.

On the axle 3 are casings 7 for wheel driving shafts 8 and the confronting ends of said shafts are'operated by a differential mechanism 9 between the casings 7, said diiferential mechanism being of a conventional form. The wheel driving shafts -8 extend into the knuckle housings 4 and are in driving relation with wheel spindles 10 by which the wheels 6 are revolved, the

driving relation being such that the wheels skidding by eliminating the ed rearwardly 4sories ordinarily V21 and a tubular housing 6 may be simultaneously7 driven and steered, steering mechanism of the usual and well known type being provided." u

- Suitably mounted on the chassis or vehicle frame at the forward end thereof, adjacent the front axle, is a motor o r pow'erplant 11 of any suitable design -and construction. The crank case 12 of the motor- 11 is extendto form a housing 13 for the usual fly wheel, clutch and other acceslocated contiguous to the motor. The crank shaft 14 of the motor ex: tends rearwardly from the housing 13 into a power transmission housing 15 suitably supported from. the housing1 and vehicle chassis A casing 16 forms a depending art o f the housing 13 and cooperates with the transmission housing 15 in supporting a longitudinal drive shaft 17 which is drivenv through the medium of a train .of gears 18 associated with the shafts 14 and 17 inthe housing 15, said housing providing suitable chambers for train of gears. A

A transmission casing 19 is formed integral with the lower part of the engine cran case and fly wheel casing and contains a conventional form of variable speed transmission mechanism 20 by which the drive shaft 17 may have variable speeds imparted thereto from .the train of gears 18, the change speed mechanism including vgears for different speeds and reverse and suitable controlling devices (not shown) extend to this Ycha-nge speed mechanism so that an automobile orsimilar vehicle may be operated and controlled in the usual manner.

Connecting the differential 9 is a the transmissioncasing 19 and universal joint casing 22 for a universal joint 23 and a driven' shaft 24, said driven shaft transmitting power from the drive shaft 17 to the differential mechanism 9, with the universal joint permitting of the differential mechanism and the front axle movinglrelative to the drive shaft 17. This drive aft cooperates with the driven shaft .24 in providing a longitudinal vpropeller shaft beneath the power plant 11 and 1n the central vertical plane thereof.

On the rear end of the drive shaft 17, outside of the housing 15, is a brake drum 25 for a brake band 26, said brake drum and brake band constituting a conventional form of brake mechanism controlled by pedals or levers (-not shown) to exert a retarding action to the turning of the drive shaft 17 and through its connection with the front wheels of the vehicle, to arrest progress of the vehicle.

All of the housings and casings are constructed to afford unitary structuresl as far as possible and provision is made for efficient oiling of all movable and stationary wearing parts. A very compact arrangea lubricant for the.

Obviously, changes may be vmade in the construction and arrangements of parts within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the'spirit of the invention, and l do not, therefore, limit my aa l self to the particular construction or' arrangement shown.

1. In a motor vehicle lwherein a chassis frame is supported upon a front axle by supporting springs, alive Aaxle is carried by the front axle for transmittin motion to front supporting and steerin w eels, and an enine is supported on t e frame rearwardly of the front axle and provided with a downwardly extending crank case; means transmitting motion from the rear` end of the engine forwardly beneath said engine to the front axle including a propeller shaft` operatively connected at its rear end with the rear end of the engine crank shaft and at its forward end to said axle, said propeller shaft including a universal joint, an a tubular member enclosing said propeller shaft and rigidlyv connected to the axle at its front end and having a universal connection at its rear end with the engine crank case to provide a radius member for taking the rearward thrust of the front axle.

2. In a ve 'cle having front steering wheels, a livev front axle including differ- 'ential mechanism, a power plant located rearwardly of the front axle and comprising an internal combustion engine provide with a crank case beneath the same and a housing at the rear end thereof into which the rear end of the engine crank shaft'extends; means for transmitting motion from the rear end of the engine crank shaft forwardly to the'differential mechanism of the front axle and comprising a power shaft mounted in bearings in said housing, gears in said housing operatively connecting said crank shaft and said power shaft, change speed power transmitting mechanism housed within a downward extension of the rear end of the engine crank case to receive oil therefrom, said power shaft forming a shaft of said change speed mechanism, a propeller shaft forming a forward extension of said power shaft and operatively connected thereto by a universal joint, a two-part universal joint housing one part of which is formed integral with the crank case extenfor 'l sion and the other part of which isconnected .part of the engine crank case to take the to said first part to move relatively thereto backward thrust on the front'axle and per and form a tight closure for the universal mit a free up and down movement of said joint, and a tube enclosing the propeller axle.

5 shaft and connected to and supported at its In testimonylwhereof I affix my signature 15 rear end by said movable part of the uni- 1n the presence of two witnesses.

versal housing with its forward end rigidly EDGAR R. HOLMES. connected to the front axle2 said tube and Witnesses: universal joint housing forming a reach con- LEWIS E. FLANDER's,

l0 nection between the front axle and the lower KARL H. BUTLER. 

